Maccabi Netanya Coach Faces Fan Protests After Draw
Translated & summarized from Walla by baba
Maccabi Netanya drew 1-1 with Hapoel Jerusalem on Saturday, leading to fan protests against coach Roni Levy and an altercation involving player Oz Bilu. Coach Levy addressed the fan anger, acknowledging the pressure on players. Hapoel Jerusalem coach Lior Zada saw the draw as a positive result after a losing streak. The result places Maccabi Netanya sixth in the league standings.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Maccabi Netanya drew 1-1 with Hapoel Jerusalem, sparking fan protests against coach Roni Levy.
- Fans chanted "Roni, resign" during the second half of the match.
- Player Oz Bilu attempted to confront angry fans after the game, requiring intervention.
- Coach Roni Levy acknowledged fan frustration but defended his team's performance.
- Hapoel Jerusalem coach Lior Zada considered the draw a positive result after a losing streak.
Maccabi Netanya's disappointing season continued Saturday with a 1-1 home draw against Hapoel Jerusalem. Striker Yitzhak scored a spectacular goal in the 44th minute, but Nadim equalized for Hapoel Jerusalem in the 69th minute. Yitzhak was later sent off in the 78th minute.
During the second half, a segment of the home crowd directed chants of "Roni, resign" at coach Roni Levy. Following the match, a serious incident occurred when several Netanya fans cursed Oz Bilu, who attempted to confront them in the stands. The situation was de-escalated by nearby fans, some Netanya players, and security personnel.
Levy acknowledged the fan frustration, stating, "It's part of the profession. I've unfortunately learned that sometimes you're on this side. It's a shame that pressure is put on the players; instead of support, they have to deal with an unpleasant atmosphere, which hurts their confidence." He added that the team is performing well but it's not reflected in the results, expressing belief in reaching the upper playoff bracket.
Netanya player Bassam Zaroura commented on the atmosphere of missed opportunity, saying, "We understand, the crowd always wants results. God willing, everything will work out in the end, we will make them happy and take them forward." He also noted that his goals would come.
Hapoel Jerusalem coach Lior Zada viewed the draw as a positive step after three consecutive losses, stating, "After three losses, you first want to stop the streak, and that's what we did. We came back from a deficit, and I'm not going to apologize for it." He added that the team's defense would stabilize and that the recent tough schedule had impacted their confidence.
Netanya player Nadav Zamir acknowledged that while a point at home is difficult, the team would have preferred three points, especially given how the game unfolded.
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